Book Review: Indulgence

Katie April 21, 2014 0 Comments

Indulgence is a bit like 50 Shades, though much better written.  Katie goes on an interview for a job to be Mr. Lance Hardy’s assistant.  She gets hired on the spot and is to start on Monday – even though she had wanted to give her previous job 2 weeks notice.  Katie instantly realizes how attractive her boss is and develops a bit of a crush on him.  She tries to keep it to herself and keep it professional, though he keeps popping up wherever she is in the office, sneaking up on her like a ninja.

Her job is to essentially be Mr. Hardy’s personal assistant when he travels.  Their first trip is from New York to San Diego.  Katie really wants to know more about her boss, but certain things she brings up completely shuts him down from talking.  Eventually she decides that this trip is her chance to see if there actually is anything between them.  They end up hooking up, twice.  Then when they get back to the office Lance seems to be completely ignoring her.

She thinks that she no longer has a job and isn’t sure how she is going to support herself, when there is a knock at her door. When she opens the door she is punched in the face by Stacey, Lance’s girlfriend.  Or well, now ex-girlfriend.  Shortly after Lance shows up and talks to her and they are able to work out what their relationship is – AND best of all, Katie didn’t lose her job.

This book ended kind of abruptly. I mean, not really, but it was like as soon as it got good, it was over!  This was kind of annoying at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I figured if it did continue on I’d probably have been upset that it lost its way and got out of hand.  So initial reaction – why did it have to end? After thinking about it – it makes more sense and I’m ok with it now.j

I received a free ecopy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

“Katie Jade, an outgoing and assertive young woman, lands an exciting new job at a prestigious New York brokerage firm. Her boss, Lance Hardy, is a mysterious, handsome man who doesn’t talk much. Katie immediately sets her sights on him.

Even though Lance is an Executive Director at the firm, his personality does not fit the mold of the stereotypical egomaniac that Katie would expect in that type of position. He keeps her at a distance, but that only sparks her interest more.

With one flamboyant move after another, Katie slowly breaks down Lance’s protective exterior. Even though their personalities are so different, deep down inside both harbor hidden pain and loneliness.

In the fast paced financial services industry, individuals may easily lose themselves. But Katie and Lance finally learn to slow down enough to find and appreciate one another.”

Book Review: The President’s Ladies

Katie April 20, 2014 0 Comments

The President’s Ladies tells the story about former President Ronald Reagan and his two ladies – fellow actresses Jane Wyman and Nancy Davis.  Reagan was married to Jane for 8 years and Nancy was his wife during his politician years.  The book does take a while to get into, I had stopped and started it several times before sitting down and continuing it through the rest of the way.  Certainly a lot of information on all 3 of the actor’s lives and perhaps a bit too much information at time. (In that the book is long, not that it is full of juicy information!)

This perhaps would have been more interesting if it was on the screen instead of in print – with clips of the films mentioned that each were acting in to be seen instead of just read about.  A lot of information is in these pages and if you are interested in these 3 as actors or for their role in politics, I think you will find a lot of information in here that you will find interesting.  If you’re just a casual reader that thought the book might be interesting as I was, you may have a hard time making it through the book.

I received a free e-copy in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

A fascinating story of Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan, and Nancy Davis

Ronald Reagan, a former actor and one of America’s most popular presidents, married not one but two Hollywood actresses. This book is three biographies in one, discovering fascinating connections among Jane Wyman (1917–2007), Ronald Reagan (1911–2004), and Nancy Davis (b. 1921).

Jane Wyman, who married Reagan in 1940 and divorced him seven years later, knew an early life of privation. She gravitated to the movies and made her debut at fifteen as an unbilled member of the chorus, then toiled as an extra for four years until she finally received billing. She proved herself as a dramatic actress in The Lost Weekend (1945), and the following year, she was nominated for an Oscar for The Yearling and soon won for her performance in Johnny Belinda (1948), in which she did not speak a single line. Other Oscar nominations followed, along with a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Angela Channing in Falcon Crest.

Conversely, Nancy Davis led a relatively charmed life, the daughter of an actress and the stepdaughter of a neurosurgeon. Surrounded by her mother’s friends—Walter Huston, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lillian Gish and Alla Nazimova, her godmother—Davis started in the theater, then moved on to Hollywood, where she enjoyed modest success, and finally began working in television. When she married Reagan in 1952, she unwittingly married into politics, eventually leaving acting to concentrate on being the wife of the governor of California, and then the wife of the president of the United States. In her way, Davis played her greatest role as Reagan’s friend, confidante, and adviser in life and in politics.

This book considers three actors who left an indelible mark on both political and popular culture for more than fifty years

Bernard F. Dick, Teaneck, New Jersey, is professor emeritus of communication and English at Fairleigh Dickinson University and is the author of Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell;Claudette Colbert: She Walked in Beauty; Hollywood Madonna: Loretta Young; and several other books.

Book Review: The Dumbest Idea Ever!

Katie April 18, 2014 0 Comments

I had previously decided I wouldn’t review any more comics (they don’t really look good on my Nook) but I couldn’t help but want to check out The Dumbest Idea Ever.  It is a book about a boy that decides that he is going to make comic books.  The comic is all about him deciding to make a comic and trying to come up with ideas – while being stuck home from school with chicken pox and then pneumonia. The book is a memoir about Jimmy Gownley’s life – as he now is a comic creator and this is how it all started!

The book is geared for kids and has a great lesson – don’t give up! Definitely a must read for any comic lover or anyone who wants to try and make their own comics!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Jimmy Gownley’s graphic novel memoir about the “dumb” idea that changed his life forever!

What if the dumbest idea ever turned your life upside down?

At thirteen, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team. But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school. Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right.

How did Jimmy turn things around, get back on top at school, and land a date with the cutest girl in class?

Renowned comics creator Jimmy Gownley shares his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist. This is the real-life story of how the DUMBEST idea ever became the BEST thing that ever happened to him.

Book Review: Bigger Than The Game

Katie April 17, 2014 0 Comments

Dirk Hayhurst’s 3rd book, Bigger Than The Game, follows his career as a pitcher trying to make it in the major leagues.  After finally getting the call up from the minors by the Toronto Blue Jays, he ends up getting injured.  The book gives an inside look to his time recovering from surgery and the inner workings of a baseball team.

There are teammates who are giving him crap for writing a book – and think that he is going to expose all sorts of “secrets”.  I found this book to be very insightful, and a nice look behind the scenes. I also found Dirk to be an excellent writer and I had no problem imagining the scenes that he was describing – no matter how weird they may have been.

I received a free e-copy of the book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Bigger than the Game 

About the Book

“The best writer in a baseball uniform.” –Tyler Kepner, The New York Times

After nearly a decade in the minors, Dirk Hayhurst defied the odds to climb onto the pitcher’s mound for the Toronto Blue Jays. Newly married, with a big league paycheck and a brand new house, Hayhurst was ready for a great season in the Bigs.

Then fate delivered a crushing hit. Hayhurst blew out his pitching shoulder in an insane off-season workout program. After surgery, rehab, and more rehab, his major-league dreams seemed more distant than ever.

From there things got worse, weirder, and funnier. In a crazy world of injured athletes, autograph-seeking nuns, angry wrestlers, and trainers with a taste for torture, Hayhurst learned lessons about the game–and himself–that were not in any rulebook. Honest, soul‑searching, insightful, hilarious, and moving, Dirk Hayhurst’s latest memoir is an indisputable baseball classic.

Book Review: Yes, It’s Hot In Here

Katie April 16, 2014 0 Comments

I will give you 3 guesses as to why I chose this book to review – and the first 2 don’t count.  Yes, it is because Mr. Met is on the cover. Now, I try not to judge a book by its cover but I figured you could’t go wrong with a book of Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots!

The book is actually written by a former Mr Met, AJ Mass.  Therefore, a majority of his personal stories revolve around the Mets organization.  He also tried his hand at being the mascot for a few other places as well and he interviews several other mascots as well.  While the mascots may be well known, oftentimes who is inside them is not that known at all (and many times this is done on purpose.)

One chapter is about how the Pirates mascot seems to be cursed, which was interesting.  Many who had wore the costume got in trouble for one thing or another – whether it be while working for the Pirates or after.

I was happy that there is even a chapter on females working as mascots – there are plenty of reasons why it could be easier for men to be mascots but I liked reading about girls who tried out or even changed the rules at schools as far as who could try out to be a mascot.

I think even if I was not a Mets fan and a fan of Mr. Met, I still would have found this book every bit just as interesting as I did.  It certainly is a job that looks easy – but when you read more about it you find out that it is not at all.  I certainly have a new found respect for all of the mascots (which I had a ball taking photos of at the All Star Game this summer!)

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Yes, It’s Hot in Here explores the entertaining history of the mascot from its jester roots in Renaissance society to the slapstick pantomime of the Clown Prince of Baseball, Max Patkin, all the way up to the mascots of the slam-dunk, rock-and-roll, Jumbotron culture of today. Along the way, author AJ Mass of ESPN.com (a former Mr. Met himself) talks to the pioneers among modern-day mascots like Dave Raymond (Phillie Phanatic), Dan Meers (K. C. Wolf), and Glenn Street (Harvey the Hound) and finds out what it is about being a mascot that simply won’t leave the performer.

Mass examines what motivates high school and college students to compete for the chance to wear a sweaty animal suit and possibly face the ridicule of their peers in the process, as well as women who have proudly served as mascots for teams in both the pro and amateur ranks. In the book’s final chapter, Mass climbs inside a mascot costume one more time to describe what it feels like and, perhaps, rediscover a bit of magic.

Book Review: Snack Girl to the Rescue

Katie April 15, 2014 0 Comments

I have found that my major struggle with trying to lose weights is snacks.  If it’s in the house I will eat it, I have no willpower.  I do fine at work with no distractions of food, but once I’m home, all bets are off.  That’s why I wanted to check out Snack Girl to the Rescue! and see if she could rescue me.

Since I mentioned my weakness above – the “Everyday Temptations” chapter was one that I read and then re-read just to make sure that I got everything there was to get.  Of course, reading a book and actually implementing it are two very, very different things but this book certainly gave me a lot to think about and now it is on me to put it in motion.

There are lots of tips to help shift your eating habits and not going at it all in one go.  And for those of you who like to drink your calories, there are some recipes for low calorie alcoholic drinks.  I didn’t think it was possible, but apparently it is!

However, if you or your loved ones need help to overcome alcohol addiction, this alcohol addiction therapy here may be of great help! You can also visit here at Pacific Ridge which is the ideal facility for anyone who desires to overcome the challenges of addiction. Also, with the help of some reliable addiction treatment programs from a good place like Thailand rehab at The Cabin, a real healing and recovery is achievable!

There are a lot of recipes for other things in he book as well. Breakfast burritos, burgers, TACOS! So you don’t really have to give up on what you are already eating, just tweak it a little bit – maybe so it has less meat and more veggies, and other substitutions.  Even my guilty pleasure – Chicken Salad is in there – and only 187 calories.  (I am sure that the chicken salad I eat once a week, or more, is much more than that per serving!)

After reading this book, things seem a lot more “do able” I don’t have to completely change my eating habits and stop eating my favorite things. I just have to change some of the contents of my favorite things. Mac & Cheese can still be done. Kettle corn. Dips!  And of course, desserts.

If you are looking for a lifestyle change to lose weight and maintain the weight you’ve lost, then certainly consider checking out Snack Girl to the Rescue! it will give you a boost in the right direction.

I received a free e-copy in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

From popular blogger Lisa Cain, aka “Snack Girl,” a common-sense guide to healthier eating and weight loss, including 100 Weight Watchers-friendly recipes. Since 2009, Lisa Cain has been blogging at Snack-Girl.com about how to make healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle. Her mission is to share the secrets and recipes that have helped her stay fit and healthy, without sacrificing fun or flavor. Snack Girl to the Rescue contains Lisa’s best advice on avoiding common weight-loss pitfalls, shopping healthier on a budget, and getting in shape, along with 100 recipes for fun, quick, and affordable meals and snacks. Written in Snack Girl’s signature voice–down to earth, encouraging, and funny–this is the go-to resource for anyone looking to incorporate healthier food choices into their lives, whether they are looking to lose weight, have more energy, or just feel more confident about their family’s nutrition.